Each year, there are thousands of fatal car accidents in Pennsylvania and across the United States. In fact, there were 34,247 deadly crashes that resulted in 37,133 deaths nationwide in 2017, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In order to protect themselves and their families on the road, many car buyers are shopping for new vehicles that have more safety features. However, statistics show that not all new vehicles perform well during accidents.
Car-search website iSeeCars.com analyzed data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, which is maintained by the U.S. Department of Transportation. It found that 14 subcompact cars and sports coupes made between 2013 and 2017 had fatality rates that were at least twice the national average of 2.6 deaths per billion miles driven.
The car with the highest death rate was the Mitsubishi Mirage, which had a fatal crash rate of 10.2 cars per billion miles driven. The Chevrolet Corvette was second on the list with 9.8 fatal accidents per billion miles driven, and the Honda Fit was third with 7.7 deadly crashes per billion miles driven. The other vehicles on the list were the Kia Forte, Chevrolet Spark, Subaru BRZ, Nissan 370Z, Nissan Versa, Kia Rio, Dodge Challenger, Chevrolet Camaro, Kia Soul, Hyundai Veloster Turbo and Nissan Versa Note. These cars have deadly crash rates ranging from a high of 7.4 to a low of 5.2 per billion miles driven. Overall, the average fatal accident rate for subcompact cars is 4.5 per billion miles driven, and the average rate for sports cars is 4.6 per billion miles driven.
Victims of car accidents might find relief by contacting a personal injury lawyer for advice. The lawyer may be able to investigate the details of the crash and recommend the best way to obtain compensation for medical expenses and other damages.